Little Sweet One

Yes, it is a wine - albeit the name of a delightful Italian red wine,
Dolcetto. It is one of my favorites from the Piedmont region in Italy
where Barolo and Barbaresco are king but the locals drink Dolcetto as an
everyday treat. Whereas Barolo and Barbaresco, made from the nebbiolo
grape, need years to evolve, the Dolcetto is generally a wine to buy and
drink young. And, the wine is usually priced under $25.

While the name means "little sweet one," Dolcetto is dry, though very
fruity. It has relatively little acid and not much tannin, making it
so easy to drink it becomes almost gulpable. It tends to have a very
dark appearance, a fruity nose of blackberries or blueberries, a dry
finish and slight hints of chocolate and maybe some herbs. It pairs
beautifully with just about any Italian food as well as other casual
dishes, especially those with tomato and herb sauces.

Dolcetto is made in selected spots all around Piedmont, but the best
wines generally come from near Alba (dolcetto d'Alba) and from around
the small village of Dogliani (dolcetto di Dogliani), which calls itself
the birthplace of dolcetto.

So prepare an Italian meal, after selecting a Dolcetto. Chill the
bottle in the refrigerator for an hour or so to get it to cellar
temperature (55 degrees) - and then let it warm so you can see how it
changes. This will add a whole new dimension of fun to a wine that's
meant to be fun anyway.